Scripture: Romans 5:1-5, 1 Thess. 5:16 – 18, Psalm 78
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works, and consider what your hands have done” – Psalm 143:5
“The very heart of the Gospel message involves both grief and gratitude. We grieve that the world is so broken that God had to intervene in Jesus, and we are so grateful that Jesus came to earth. We describe this combination of sadness and joy every time we have holy communion.” – Lynn Baab
“The choice for gratitude rarely comes without some real effort. But each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier, a little freer, a little less self-conscious. Because every gift I acknowledge reveals another and another until, finally, even the most normal, obvious and seemingly mundane event or encounter proves to be filled with grace.” —Henri Nouwen
1. How would you describe what you are holding in your two hands in your life right now? Are you living in the tension of grief and gratitude?
2. How does gratitude in the midst of difficulty open our eyes to who God is and what He is doing?
3. Is remembering easy or difficult for you? What are the ways that you remember what God has done?
4. How can you record & recount your remembrances of God’s faithfulness in your life?
